52 best Super Bowl Week photos

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

Patrick Stewart puts up a Super Bowl XLIX sign on the One North Central building in downtown Phoenix.
Mark Henle/The Republic

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

Kai Ezell-Tapia, 2, of Phoenix, powers his way through the NFL Experience at the Phoenix Convention Center on Saturday.
Kai Ezell-Tapia, 2, of Phoenix, has a little fun in the Play 60 Zone during the NFL Experience at Phoenix Convention Center on January 24, 2015.
Cheryl Evans/The Republic

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

Patriots head coach Bill Belichick declined comment on the 'Deflategate' controversy on Monday, opting to turn the discussion to his team's preparations for Super Bowl XLIX.
David Kadlubowski/The Republic

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

Joe Namath stops on the red carpet before the 4th Annual National Football League Honors in Phoenix.
Jessie Wardarski/The Republic

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians and his wife, Christine, walk the red carpet before receiving his Coach of the Year award during the 4th Annual National Football League Honors.
Jessie Wardarski/The Republic

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

Twin brothers Ben (left) and Nat Brugadir from New York enjoy the sunshine outside University of Phoenix Stadium before the New England Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX.
Michael Chow/The Republic

52 best Super Bowl Week photos

The lights are bright surrounding the University of Phoenix Stadium, Wednesday evening.
Tom Tingle/The Republic

Scottsdale's big year on the sports stage — highlighted by Super Bowl parties and the best-attended Phoenix Open golf tournament ever — also proved a landmark year for city tax revenue.

Big increases from hotels, restaurants and retail shops led Scottsdale to a record $258.9 million in local tax revenue during fiscal 2015, beating the previous record of $251 million set in 2007, just before the recession.

The revenue figures were part of Scottsdale's annual financial audit approved by the City Council on Dec. 2. The fiscal year spanned July 2014 to June 2015.

City governments take much of their revenue from local property and sales taxes while also receiving a share of state taxes. The majority of that revenue pays for day-to-day services like police, fire, parks and city planning.

Scottsdale also reached a new high in hotel bed-tax revenue, pulling in more than $17 million, an 11 percent jump over last year. Much of that money supports tourism-related events and promotions like the Fiesta Bowl, WestWorld and the Museum of the West.

Near-record occupancy at Scottsdale hotels

The two nights prior to Super Bowl XLIX on Feb. 1 ranked second and third all-time for filling hotel rooms across the Scottsdale area, according to Rachel Pearson, spokeswoman for Scottsdale Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Occupancy rates in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley hit 96.7 percent on Jan. 30, as fans of the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks poured into the Valley. That number climbed to 97.5 percent the night before the game.

The only night when Scottsdale hotels have done better came in January 2007, when the Florida Gators beat the Ohio State Buckeyes in Glendale. That event filled 98 percent of Scottsdale-area rooms on game night, Pearson said.

Typical occupancy for peak tourism season in Scottsdale runs around 90 percent, and that figure drops closer to 50 percent in late summer.

There are 58 hotels and roughly 12,000 rooms included in the Scottsdale/Paradise Valley area, according to a city report.

Room prices soar, restaurants packed

Not only were more people staying at Scottsdale hotels in January, but they were paying a lot more to do so, according to city tourism data.

The nightly price for a hotel room increased by 32 percent in January 2015 compared with the same month a year before, Scottsdale Tourism Development Manager Steve Geiogamah said.

Scottsdale hotel rooms cost an average of $249 per night leading up to the Super Bowl, compared with $192 in January 2014, data show.

City sales tax paid by hotels spiked 51 percent in January 2015, and restaurant sales increased by 28 percent, Geiogamah said. For the year, Scottsdale restaurants posted their best revenue figures ever, providing roughly $926 million of taxable sales, according to city data.

Other factors: Homes, cars, inflation

The Super Bowl certainly helped boost sales and hotel taxes during the 2015 fiscal year, but several other factors also played a significant role in boosting tax revenue, city budget officials said.

More residential construction triggered an increase in sales tax from contractors. The opening of a Mazda dealership created a new revenue source. A record 564,368 people attended the Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale.

Spring training also provides a notable boost for the city, with March providing peak occupancy rates for Scottsdale-area hotels. The San Francisco Giants, who play spring games in downtown Scottsdale, drew about 169,000 fans in 2015 — third most in the Cactus League.

Aside from sports and special events, two long-term factors have also contributed to the city's record tax revenue, officials said. Property-tax revenue has increased by about $15 million over the last decade, and officials estimate inflation at about 17 percent since 2006.

Millions in national exposure

While a major event like the Super Bowl can provide a one-time windfall for the local economy, the ensuing media blitz can provide an indirect benefit for years to come, industry experts said.

ESPN set up multiple broadcast stages for TV and radio shows just north of Scottsdale Fashion Square mall, with shots of iconic Camelback Mountain in the background. The network produced 140 hours of coverage from Scottsdale, Pearson said.

ESPN's coverage amounted to $6.3 million in media value for the city, Geiogamah said, citing a market intelligence report from Repucom.

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Economic impact of Super Bowl XLIX

Football championship coming in January

Although the draw may not be as broad as the Super Bowl, the College Football Playoff will bring its national championship game to the Valley in January, ensuring another influx of sports tourists.

Like the Super Bowl, the game will be played at Glendale's University of Phoenix Stadium, but much of the fanfare will take place in Phoenix and Scottsdale.

One of the teams will be staying at a Scottsdale resort, along with one of the school bands and various conference officials, alumni and boosters, Pearson said. ESPN will broadcast from downtown Phoenix this time, but downtown Scottsdale will host a private party for media members in town to cover the game, she said.